|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 23 May 2004 |
 |
|
 |
World |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
India's new alliance finalises policy, cabinet NEW DELHI, May 22 (Reuters) Indian prime minister designate Manmohan Singh and his new coalition government will be sworn in on Saturday A presidential spokesman said Singh and his team would be sworn in by President Abdul Kalam at 5:30 p.m (1200 GMT). Singh, a 71-year-old economist, kicked off India's economic reforms more than a decade ago. He was designated prime minister this week after Sonia Gandhi, who had led her Congress party to a shock election win, declined to take the job. A draft of the Common Minimum Programme has been drawn up which stipulates that the new government would drive towards an annual 7-8 percent expansion in the economy and increase investment in agriculture, D. Raja, a Communist Party of India leader, told Reuters. Other sources said the government would be selective in its privatisation programme, a key plank of the reforms, but otherwise the agenda would be pro-growth. There is now a general consensus that Singh himself will remain finance minister at least until the presentation of the annual budget, due by July, media reports said. Other contenders for the portfolio were Pranab Mukherjee and P. Chidambaram, who have both done the job in the past and are respected in the market. Mukherjee is likely to be named home or interior minister while Chidambaram may be made commerce minister, they said. Former diplomat Natwar Singh, a one-time ambassador to Pakistan, was likely to be foreign minister. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
